Foguang Temple on Mount Wutai

Foguang Temple on Mount Wutai

Foguang Temple on Mount Wutai is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Foguang Temple is located southeast of Foguang Village, Doucun Town, Wutai County. According to the *Records of Mount Qingliang*, it was initially built during the reign of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty (471–499). In the fifth year of the Huichang era (845) under Emperor Wuzong of the Tang Dynasty, Buddhism was suppressed nationwide, and the temple was almost entirely destroyed.

It was reconstructed in the eleventh year of the Dazhong era (857) during the Tang Dynasty, under the supervision of the lay female devotee Ning Gongyu from the capital and the eminent monk Yuancheng. During the Tianhui era of the Jin Dynasty (1123–1137), the Manjusri Hall and Samantabhadra Hall were built on either side of the front courtyard. The Yuan Dynasty saw repairs to the roof and ridge ornaments. The Ming and Qing dynasties witnessed the reconstruction of the Mountain Gate (also known as the Heavenly King Hall), Sangharama Hall, Xiangyu Tower, Guan Di Hall, and Wanshan Hall. In the late Qing Dynasty, the Samantabhadra Hall was destroyed by fire, and in the early Republican period, cave dwellings and north-south wing rooms were added. The temple covers an area of 15,600 square meters. Oriented east to west and built along the mountain slope into three terraced courtyards, its central axis features a screen wall, the Mountain Gate (Heavenly King Hall), and the East Main Hall. The north side of the front courtyard houses the Manjusri Hall, while the south side has the Sangharama Hall; the middle courtyard features seven-room wing rooms on both the north and south sides, with a scripture depository to the north; the upper courtyard includes the Great Buddha Hall, flanked by the Guan Yu Hall and Wanshan Hall. The extant East Main Hall is a relic from the Tang Dynasty, the Manjusri Hall was built during the Jin Dynasty, and the rest are Ming and Qing structures. The temple preserves one Northern Dynasties ancestral stupa, two Tang Dynasty stone stupas, one Ming Dynasty stone stupa, 35 Tang Dynasty statues, 7 Jin Dynasty statues, 5 Ming Dynasty statues, 61.68 square meters of Tang Dynasty murals, 2.10 square meters of Song Dynasty murals, 110 square meters of Ming Dynasty murals, and 15 inscribed steles from the Ming and Qing periods related to temple renovations. Outside the temple are five Tang Dynasty stupas and one Jin Dynasty stupa. On March 4, 1961, it was declared a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the State Council. (Source: *A Collection of Cultural Relics from Xinzhou*)

Foguang Village: Foguang Village is located north of Doucun Town, about one kilometer from the town center. The village has 48 households, a total population of 172, and 9 Party members, covering a land area of 6,000 mu. The UNESCO World Heritage Site Foguang Temple is situated in Foguang Village. Originally built during the reign of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty (471–499), the temple is renowned for its long history and precious Buddhist relics, earning it the title "Buddhist Light of Asia." The main hall, also known as the East Main Hall, was constructed in the eleventh year of the Dazhong era of the Tang Dynasty (857 AD). In terms of construction date, it is second only to the Nanchan Temple in Wutai County, which was built in the third year of the Jianzhong era (782 AD)… More details about Foguang Village++

Further Reading:

· Top 50 Ancient Architectural Structures Still Standing in China

· First Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units